1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette device integrally including a paper discharge tray, and an image recording device wherein the paper feed cassette apparatus is removably installed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known image recording device, e.g., a copy device and a printer device, an arrangement is made to removably install a paper feed cassette device that accommodates recording media before being subjected to recording, in an accumulated state. Image recording devices have been increasingly frequently used not only in for business use, e.g., for companies and the like, but also in homes for small-scale offices or individuals. Many types and sizes of paper, e.g., B5 to A3, L size, postcard size, regal size, and the like, may be required to be used.
However, when attempting to prepare paper feed cassette devices for each paper size, many kinds of paper feed cassette devices are needed. Also, when attempting to allow many kinds of paper feed cassette devices to be concurrently mounted on an image recording device using a known image recording device, the device may grow large. Moreover, when attempting to use many kinds of paper feed cassette devices while exchanging with one another, space for storing preliminary paper feed cassette devices may be required.
In a known image recording device, e.g., a recording device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-181933, two paper feed cassette devices are provided at upper and lower stages, and a slide tray in the upper-stage paper feed cassette device is configured to be extendable/contractible. In the known image recording device, the upper and lower stage paper feed cassette devices are designed to accommodate paper of sizes different from each other, and to be able to accommodate paper of further different sizes by extending and contracting of the upper-stage paper feed cassette device.
In another known image recording device, e.g., a recording device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-247456, a paper feed cassette device has a cover of an upper-stage paper feed cassette device that also serves as a paper discharge tray portion, and when paper of a large size is discharged, the mounting area of the cover is enlarged by extending an subsidiary tray of the paper discharge tray portion. Nevertheless, although a subsidiary tray is locked to a main body portion of the paper feed cassette device, an extendable/contractible movable casing is not locked thereto. Therefore, the subsidiary tray of the paper discharge tray portion may be extended even though the paper feed cassette device has not been not extended. Since the paper discharge tray portion doubles as the cover of the paper feed cassette device and is formed comparatively thin, it is low in rigidity.
Also, there are other known image recording devices in which, when the paper feed cassette device is configured to be able to feed paper of a plurality of kinds of sizes, although the paper discharge tray portion is set to a size in conformance with paper of a small size, a command for making a record onto paper of a larger size is issued without noticing the above-described state. Such a situation is prone to occur in the case wherein, for example, there are provided a plurality of paper feed cassette devices, and paper of a large size is accommodated within the lower-stage paper feed cassette device while paper of a small size is accommodated within the upper-stage paper feed cassette device.
If the mounting area of the paper discharge tray portion is smaller than the area of discharged paper, the paper may drop off from the paper discharge tray portion, and the order of discharge may be lost, thereby requiring time and effort to re-sequence the discharged paper. Moreover, in an arrangement incapable of easily performing extension/contraction, it has been necessary to perform an operation for extending the paper discharge tray portion after having once interrupted the recording command.